I Corinthians 5:9–13

 I Corinthians 5:9–13

It is hard not to view the irony of this passage in view of most churches today. It seems that the very thing Paul commands is the very thing, which we as contemporary conservative Christians all want to avoid. And that which Paul commands, most liberal Christians reject. In short, Paul commands that the church dis-fellowship or excommunicate the supposed brother consistently living in sin while engaging socially with the nonbeliever regardless of their vice.

We have that upside down in many churches. Behaviors that ought not to be tolerated are. However, when some sins are practiced by fellow church members, these behaviors are ignored or winked at in the name of grace, personality, or some other excuse. The tolerance of this unholy behavior hurts the church's witness and, worse, supports the spread of the wickedness within the church. Churches that have protected and coddled from this sort of behavior tend to go from being strong and effective to dead. They are legion.

At the same time, many churches are scandalized if a member befriends or keeps company with notorious sinners from outside of the church. The church, wanting to protect itself from sinners that are “out there,” retreats into a busy schedule with all the entertainment in the context of a Christian subculture. Bad sinners are kept at arm's reach, while nice, or not-so-bad sinners are permitted to join if they aren’t too wicked and are willing to make the effort to join.

Salt is of no use in the saltshaker and must be out of its confined collection space. Paul advocates and practices contact with those outside of Christ. The Christian who is part of the church that practices holy living and proper church discipline will not likely be swept away by the company or companionship or social interaction of non-Christian friends and acquaintances.

As the saying goes, there’s no problem with the boat being in the water, but when the water is in the boat, there is a definite problem. There is no problem with the Christian or the church being in the world; that is where they belong. The problem has been that the world has made its way into the church. That will ruin the church, and such a church will never be effective at rescuing the world.

“Lord, protect Your church through the ministry of faithful disciples.  AMEN”

I Corinthians 5:1-8

 I Corinthians 5:1-8

This short chapter is dedicated to addressing a case of horrific immorality within the church. A man in the church is having an incestuous relationship with his mother or stepmother. There is in this chapter a number of principles and practical lessons for our lives as disciples today living together in a community of faith.

First is the danger of abusing grace. By grace, God justifies the sinner, but He does not ever justify the sin. This sin, abhorrent even to the Greeks, could never be made right by grace. The Corinthians took a perverse pride in their acceptance of the sinner. As if to say, “See how good grace is. In Grace, anything goes.” Grace is almost seen as permission to sin. The extension of grace to a sinner that doesn’t also declare and require passionate love to the grace giver, which, by the way, will include obedience, is a prostitution of grace.

Second, when there is gross immorality in the church, the correct response is intense grief and sorrow. In many churches, people will mourn the loss of a fellow member to death, or the death of a dog or a cat, and in some cases the loss in a game. At the same time, the congregation will tolerate, and in the worst cases even celebrate, blatant sin. But sorrow for sin by itself is only the beginning point. It must be sorrow that includes a point of action. In this case, the action that is needed is excommunication.

Third, the church must not be flippant about excommunication. By virtue of belonging to the body of Christ, a Christian enjoys certain protections. When they are turned over to Satan, that protection is removed. For this reason, the church must excommunicate a person only as a last resort and only in cases of unrepentant and unrestrained sin. When a person is excommunicated, they are delivered over to Satan in the hopes that the destruction of the flesh will result in the spirit being saved in the coming judgment. Satan is powerless over the Christian except as we surrender authority to him by sin or by making an agreement with him. Real misery and harm await the person under Satan‘s power. The mind and the body are subject to and defenseless against one who hates them with a white-hot passion. The excommunicated Christian is vulnerable even up to the point of demonic oppression and possession. Terrible as that is, even in this there is an expression of God‘s goodness. There is the hope that in the end the spirit of the backslider is saved, and in the meantime the church is protected.

“Lord, protect Your people from hearts that are open to sin. AMEN”